It Only Begins
by Darkwolfdragon16
Summary: A warrior from long ago comes back into Thorin's life. Before he can even say anything, she and a friend tag along on their journey to get the Lonely Mountain back from Smaug. Will he be able to protect her? Or will his own fate change? ThorinxOC and FilixOC (two OC's)
1. The Unexpected Member

This is my first fanfiction for the Hobbit book. I just want to tell you guys that this is both book and movie verse. I do have a co-author on this story: krooglekat. Well, I hope you guys enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit nor do I make any profit from it

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"Hmm... it still seems that we are missing a member," the old wizard commented once the small hobbit, known as Bilbo Baggins, closed the front door. The wizard was wearing an old, gray robe that was still quite large on his tall figure. All the dwarves and Bilbo looked over at the gray-haired wizard, curious about what he meant. One dwarf in particular was quite curious indeed. He had thought for sure that everyone was there already.

He had long, dark brown hair and light blue eyes. He had a small dark brown beard that was well kept unlike some of the dwarves. He was dressed in silver armor and a dark blue tunic as well. Over that was a black belt that had a silver buckle in the front. He had black gloves that ran up to his elbows. Over his outfit was a black coat that was lined with dark brown fur. Somewhere, hidden by the coat, was a holster for his silver axe that he sometimes would carry in his hand.

"What are you talking about, Gandalf," the dwarf asked him.

"There was supposed to be another member here before all of you got here, but I guess they got held back by something," Gandalf answered.

"Can you tell me who this member is?" Gandalf gave a small smile.

"Oh, I think you'll recognize them quickly, Thorin." Thorin sighed in slight defeat.

"Alright, then let's get this meeting started and just brief the last member on the decisions made once they..." Thorin trailed off when he heard a horse snort loudly outside. Fili, a blonde-haired and bearded dwarf, went over to the window. Fili was a dwarf wearing a fur trimmed coat that went over his knees, brown fingerless gloves, and thick leather boots pulled over tribal print pants. He had a sword strapped to his back.

"Thorin, there's a white mare with a black mane and tail out there," he described, "A person in a black cloak and hood just dismounted off of the horse." Thorin looked at Fili, his eyes filled with shock.

"That's Snowfire," he whispered, but some people around him heard what he said, that included Bilbo.

"Who? The horse," asked the small, light brown-haired hobbit, who was dressed in a plaid robe of some kind ever since everyone had arrived. Thorin looked over at Gandalf, completely ignoring Bilbo's question.

"Gandalf, why did you ask her to come? This is too dangerous for her," Thorin yelled. He was furious. She should have never joined them on their journey.

"I told her that she didn't need to come, but she said that she would come anyway," Gandalf explained just as someone knocked on the door, "Apparently, she wanted to help you enough to accept that she may not come back." Thorin went over to a wall and placed a hand on the wall, sighing deeply in the process.

"She doesn't need to do this," he whispered low enough for no one to hear. Bilbo walked over to the door and opened it. Sure enough, a person walked in, dressed in a black cloak and hood. Around the edges of the cloak was a pattern of silver roses. Once the person was inside the small house and the small hobbit had closed the door, the person pushed their hood off their head.

It was a human girl who looked to be in her twenties. The dwarves and Bilbo looked closer at the girl to see she was actually an elf. She had dark black hair and dark sapphire eyes. She was wearing a dark blue tunic and black boots that looked to be made out of leather. Over the tunic was black armor to protect her from any harm at all. Around her waist was a black holster for a sword that had a dark blue handle. On her back were a bow, and a small bag of black and blue feathered arrows.

She looked around at everyone and when her eyes landed on Thorin, who had righted himself up when she had walked in, she gave a smile.

"It's nice to see you again, Prince Thorin. It has been quite awhile," she said, slightly bowing her head to him.

"Stella Night, may I ask you why you decided to join us on this journey," Thorin asked, making it look like he hadn't yelled earlier.

"Journey? What journey," asked Bilbo, confused.

"I'll explain later, Bilbo," Gandalf whispered before looking back to the conversation lying before them between Stella and Thorin.

"Can I not help an old friend with getting his home back," Stella asked innocently. Thorin's expression softened at her question.

"Yes, of course you can help, but…"

"Thorin, let her help. Look at her. She looks like she has seen plenty of battles," said the brown-haired dwarf named Kili, "Isn't she one of those elves called the Slayers?"

The Slayers were a group of elves that looked more like humans, but still had the same powers that elves had. They were typically around the same height as an average human would be, which would explain why Stella was about Thorin's height. The Slayers were famous for slaying dragons and other huge, dangerous monsters in Middle Earth. But that wasn't the only thing. They were also famous for how much fighting they have done against the Goblins and any other evil creature along the way.

Stella looked over at the dwarf who had spoken up. His hair was quite messy and he had a very small beard, which was quite uncommon among dwarves, but she quickly figured that he was young. He had brown gloves that went up his arm and a thick greenish coat with slight fur trim. That was pulled over a blue shirt, which wasn't tucked in over his brown tribal pants and boots. Stella had to smile that he had known that she was a Slayer.

"Yes, she's one of the Slayers," Thorin responded, "She's from the noble family that leads them."

"That's quite impressive," commented Fili.

"Thank you," Stella replied, "Is there anywhere I can sit?"

"In here, Stella," Gandalf said, pointing in the direction of the dining room. The dwarves sat themselves down into the chairs around the table. Thorin and Gandalf sat at the head of the table along with Stella. Thorin was given a plate of food since he had arrived late.

Stella took out a map of Middle Earth along with Gandalf. There was a big difference between Stella's and Gandalf's maps. The wizard's map only had the path they were going to take and any surrounding areas. Stella's map had all of Middle Earth on it. Gandalf also pulled out a small silver key. Thorin looked at the key, stunned.

"Gandalf, is that what I think it is," he asked.

"Most likely," Gandalf replied, "It's the key that opens the back way into your city. Your grandfather gave it to your father before he died, but then Thrain gave it to me wanting you to have it." Thorin took the key from Gandalf and looked at it for a second.

"Never thought I was going to have to see this so soon," he said, placing it on the table.

"Well, shall we get on with this meeting," said a bald dwarf with a brown beard and light-colored eyes.

"First of all, we should probably start with introducing all of you to Stella," Gandalf said. Stella nodded.

"The name's Dwalin," said the bald dwarf from earlier. He was dressed in a dark brown outfit. Over his shoulders was light brown fur. From underneath the fur was a light brown shirt that came down to his elbows. On his hands were leather and metal gloves that only really over his wrist and his knuckles. Around his waist was a dark brown leather belt and metal belt buckle. He had black boots on his feet.

"My name is Balin," said a white-bearded dwarf with dark eyes. He was wearing a long, red tunic, and around his waist was a red and black belt. He had a sword tucked in a holster on that belt. He was wearing dark brown boots on his feet.

"I'm Oin," a dark gray bearded, dark gray-haired and dark eyed dwarf said. He was dressed in silver outfit. He was wearing black boots, and a silver and black belt. His belt buckle was the same color as well.

"Gloin," said a red-haired and bearded dwarf with dark eyes. He was wearing a brown outfit with armor like gloves on his hands. Around his waist was a dark brown belt and he was wearing dark black boots.

"Dori," said another gray-haired and beard dwarf. He was dressed in the same colored tunic as Balin, but in a different design. The dwarves continued on introducing themselves that included Fili and Kili, of course. There was Ori, a light brown-haired and beard dwarf in a dark gray coat, and Nori with the same colored hair and beard, but in a gray and brown coat.

Then there was Bifur, who had a white and black beard and hair in a dark brown tunic. Bofur was a brown-haired dwarf with a brown and black hat on his head. He was wearing a light brown coat and boots. Lastly there was Bombur, who was dressed in black pants, light green shirt, and a coat of the same color. He had red hair and beard. He was seating on the other end of the table as Stella, Thorin, and Gandalf. The other eleven dwarves were sitting on the edges.

"I will have to say it will be hard to remember all of your names," Stella said once they had all gone through their names. Everyone laughed.

"You'll be fine, Stella," Balin said politely, "You'll learn our names eventually." She smiled

"Thank you… Balin, right?" The old dwarf nodded.

"Alright, so what's the plan, Gandalf? How are we going to get into the Lonely Mountain," asked one of the dwarves on the other end. Stella watched as the old wizard pointed to the mountain on his map.

"Smaug, the dragon that now lies there, will know of the smell of dwarf. And that's when we will need Mr. Baggins," Gandalf said as he looked back at the small hobbit. He had been pacing around when he heard his name.

"Me? Why do you need me," he asked.

"Well, we will need you to help us get in," Gandalf went on to explain, "Basically you will be our burglar, Mr. Baggins."

"Well then, what does the burglar have to say," Thorin asked as he looked back at Bilbo.

"I would like to know exactly why you are going on this journey in the first place."

"Gandalf, did you not tell this hobbit about what this journey was about," Thorin questioned the old wizard.

"No, but we might as well tell him now." Gandalf went on for what seemed like hours, telling the story of how Smaug had taken the Lonely Mountain for himself. As he explained, Stella remembered when she had first heard of what happened. She remembered that she spent several years, training for this day. Thorin sighed as Balin stood up from his chair. He pulled out a piece of parchment and gave it to Bilbo.

"Here, read this over and sign at the bottom," he said before he sat down again. Stella and the dwarves watched as Bilbo read over the parchment. Well, more like reading it over aloud. She had to laugh as she heard the contract being read, but she held herself back.

"Also, since we have Stella here, she can also help us get in," Gandalf stated. Thorin looked up at the wizard. It looked like he wasn't happy with the idea, but he didn't say anything.

"Yes, I can most certainly help with anything," Stella responded.

"Good, good the more help we can get the more likely we will be able to get in, right," said Ori. Stella nodded.

"Which is why I brought along a good friend of mine. She is waiting for me outside of the Shire. I hope to get back to her soon."

"You brought someone with you," Thorin asked. Stella looked over at the dark-haired dwarf prince.

"Yes, but I can promise you that she will stay on the same terms as I am."

"Good," Gandalf said, "Again, the more help, the better." Stella looked over at Bilbo just in time to watched him read over something, then think about, then read it again. Once he had done all of that, he fell over. He had fainted.

"What the hell was in the contract that would make him faint," Stella asked as Fili and Kili got up to take Bilbo to his bedroom.

"I don't know," Thorin answered.

"It was all the basic insurance that we could offer," Balin spoke up. Stella looked over at him.

"Like what?"

"Do you really want to know, Stella?" The Slayer shook her head.

"No, thank you."

"If we are done with our decisions, why don't we move to the living room," offered Gandalf. Stella and the dwarves all nodded before they began to move. Most of the dwarves ended up standing, but there were some seated in chairs. Stella was standing in the archway that led to the front door while Thorin stood near the fireplace. The dwarves started to hum out of nowhere.

"Far over the misty mountain cold, To dungeons deep and caverns old, We must away ere break of day, To seek the pale enchanted gold," Thorin began. The other dwarves began to chime in with Thorin, singing their song without music. Stella listened closely to the song, feeling evermore sorry for the dwarves about losing their home. She felt especially sorry for Thorin.

Once they were done, most of the dwarves went to bed and that was when Stella left. As she walked outside to her mare, Snowfire, Thorin followed her. Stella stroked her mare's black nose as Thorin walked over to her.

"Stella, I want to know why you are really here," he whispered. Stella looked over at him.

"It's because I truly want to help you get your home back," she whispered back at him, "Smaug took an interest in the gold your grandfather had and well… I had failed to get there in time to help get rid of Smaug. I'm sorry, Thorin." Thorin shook his head.

"It's not your fault," he said. Snowfire neighed softly before trying to reach for Thorin. The prince dwarf smirked before petting the white mare on the nose.

"Yes, Snowfire, I remember you."

"I should probably get going." Stella walked over to Snowfire's left side before mounting up.

"Where should we meet up in the morning, Stella?"

"Morning? Are you not going to wait for his answer, Thorin?"

"From the way he was acting, I doubt he will accept. If he does, I doubt even more that he will take this seriously and want to actually help us." Stella shook her head.

"Give him a chance, Thorin. I will meet up with you and your company on the edge of the Shire. We shall then move in the direction of the Lonely Mountain in due time."

"Alright. Don't be late."

"I won't." Stella kicked Snowfire and the mare took off towards the woods not far from the Shire. As the mare cantered through the woods, Stella led her down the right path in order to get them to the camp her friend had made. As she arrived, she saw an elfish girl sitting on a log near a small fire.

The girl had long curly blackish brown hair down to her lower back and green eyes. She was wearing a brown tunic with matching boots and fingerless gloves. Her main weapon was a bow made from blackened cherry wood with all black arrows, which was leaning against the other side of the log. She had a green cloak with darker green leaf embroidery around the edges over her shoulders. The girl was a Slayer just like Stella.

There was a dapple grey horse with cream colored mane and tail with slightly blackened tips and a pink nose that went by the name of Cerious tied to a tree behind the log. As Stella brought her horse to a stop, the girl looked up at her.

"Did you have a nice time, Stella," her friend asked, smiling.

"What are you talking about, Nim," she asked. She walked Snowfire over to Cerious before slipping her bow and arrows off her back.

"I mean talking to Thorin."

"Yes, for a little while at the very least… Wait a minute, why am I telling you this!" Nim laughed loudly.

"If there's something you don't want me to know, it's fine." Stella sat down on the ground, her back against the log.

"No, there's nothing you really don't need to know, it's just I'm not going to tell you anything at all." Nim quickly went to her friend's side, grasping her left shoulder once he had sat herself down.

"Now you have to tell me."

"Seriously, Nim, it's nothing special. Just strategy this and plans that."

"Really? Is that it? I expected him saying something like "She shouldn't be here. It will be too dangerous for her." You know something like that." Stella had to laugh when Nim tried to mimic Thorin's voice.

"Trust me, so was I, but most likely he was thinking that all through the meeting."

"Well, maybe he will say something like that soon." Stella nodded.

"We should get some sleep. We'll have to wake up a little bit early." Nim sighed.

"Alright."

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	2. On The Way

Hey, guys, I just want to tell you right now that me and my friend, krooglekat, are just like Stella and Nim. We literally act like nutcases pretty much every day of the week. We are the best of friends. Anyway, enjoy this chapter guys. I know me and krooglekat did when we wrote it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit nor do I make any profit from it

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Stella and Nim woke up quite early the next morning. Both weren't quite fond of getting up so early, but they knew they could not leave Thorin and the rest of the company waiting for just the two of them. As Stella got the horses tacked up and ready to go, Nim got breakfast ready.

"Should we eat this on the way, Stella," she asked her friend.

"Yeah, we can do that," Stella said, "We can have the horses walk there. The Shire isn't really that far from here."

"Alright, I'll wrap it up in a clean cloth for the both of us." Nim quickly wrapped the breakfast bread she had made into two clean cloths before placing one in Stella's saddle bag and the other in her own.

"I think we're done getting everything packed up. Let's get going then, shall we," Stella asked. Nim nodded. Once she had, Nim and Stella mounted up onto Cerious and Snowfire. The two mares' neighed softly before starting to walk to the Shire. The girls pulled out their breakfast and begin to eat it on their way to the Shire. As they grew closer and closer to the Shire, they could see a big group of ponies, with a single horse among them, riding towards them.

"Is that them, Stella," Nim asked, stuffing her cloth back into her saddle bag. She had already finished her breakfast. As for Stella, she had only eaten half, but she still placed the cloth, with her half-eaten breakfast still in it, back into the saddle bag.

"Yeah, that's them," Stella answered. The dwarves and wizard rode their horses over to Stella and Nim.

"Morning, everyone," Stella said as she looked around at all of them, "I'm guessing the hobbit choose not to come." Thorin nodded.

"Well, anyway, this is Meliot Nim, but you may call her Nim for short. She is a very close friend of mine." The dwarves and Gandalf all introduced themselves once more, this time for Nim. Stella's friend looked over at her, stunned slightly at the amount of names she would have to remember. Stella mouthed that she had the same feeling last night. Stella and Nim turned their horses around so that they could begin their journey with Thorin and the rest, without the little hobbit.

"So, I have to ask," began Bofur only a few minutes after they had left the Shire's view, "Who wants to bet that the little hobbit will or will not come?" As the betting began, most of the dwarves said that Bilbo was not going to come. There were a few that did say that the little hobbit would, that included Gandalf.

"Thorin, do you want to bet in," asked Bofur.

"No, I do not," Thorin said crossly.

"Why?"

"Because I already know that he won't come and even if he does come, I doubt his heart will be in it," Thorin explained. Bofur looked at the two Slayers before making his pony ride up beside them. He had to at least try and get the two Slayers in on this.

"Stella, Nim, would you like to bet in?"

"Sure, I'll bet that he will come," Stella responded. Thorin looked over at Stella once she had said that. He was curious as to why she would want to bet. He quickly let it go as he looked forward once again on the path they were headed down.

"And I'll bet against her," Nim replied. Stella looked at her brown-haired friend, confusion in her sapphire eyes.

"And why do you want to do that? You barely even know the hobbit."

"Oh, it's simple really. It's because if you lose, I can brag to you the whole way to the Lonely Mountain about how you lost." Nim was smiling now.

"Come on, Nim, that's not fair. You know that I usually have bad luck with bets." Nim smiled even bigger this time, making Stella wonder what she was up too.

"Yeah, you do. I remember when you made a bet on whether or not you liked…"

"Nim!" Thorin looked over at the girls just in time to see Nim drop back and Stella blushing a deep red. He looked at them like they were some kind of nutcases, which in this case could be quite close. Nim was laughing to herself as Cerious pulled back beside Fili's pony.

"What are you laughing about," Fili asked, slightly interested now. His brother Kili looked over at Nim as well. He too was interested in what the Slayer was laughing at.

"Nothing… just Stella," Nim answered with a slight chuckle.

"Wait! Wait for me," yelled a voice behind the group. Everyone stopped their horses and turned to see a small Bilbo running towards them. He was carrying the contract in his hand as he ran towards them. Thorin brought his own horse to a stop beside Snowfire and looked back at the running Bilbo. Stella smiled before looking at Nim with the smile still on her face.

"I win," she teased, "for once." Nim shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, I guess you get to brag."

"Nope, not going to do that." Nim looked at Stella, stunned.

"What! Bu… but you have to. We made a deal a long time ago that if either of us won a bet they got brag rights for as long as they wanted."

"And what if I don't want to brag?" Nim went silent for the longest time, making Stella smiled again.

"I stand correct." Nim narrowed her eyes at Stella and stuck her tongue out.

"This is not over, Stella Night." Bilbo ran over to Balin's horse, giving him the contract from last night. The old dwarf read over it, making sure it was in order. He smiled before nodding.

"Welcome, Bilbo Baggins, our new burglar," Balin announced as he placed the contract into his saddle bag. Bilbo smiled before nodding. Ori rode his horse over in order to hand over the extra pony for Bilbo. They had brought one just in case he did say yes and come on the journey. Snowfire snorted and pawed the ground. She shook her head several times before finally coming to a stop. Her dark brown eyes were wide with fear.

"What's up with Snowfire," Nim asked as she brought her dapple gray mare next to the white one.

"I don't know. Maybe she senses something nearby," Stella answered. She reached down and stroked the mare's neck, calming the mare down quickly. She leaned down and stroked the mare's ears.

"Shh, my little girl, you're fine," Stella whispered in the elvish tongue. The white mare nickered softly before finally calming down completely. Stella sat back up in her saddle. The group began to move once again down the path that was headed in the direction of the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo rode his pony up beside Stella's at one point of the travel.

"Oh, Bilbo, what is it," Stella asked.

"I was curious… about the Slayers," he said.

"Well, what about them are you curious about?"

"Everything like who they are and anything else." Stella sighed softly.

"You have probably already seen how we look like elves yet I myself am still smaller than Thorin." Bilbo nodded.

"We are elves that have been born for only one thing and that is to kill anything that threatens humans, elves, dwarves, and everything one else. We are abnormal elves. I guess you could call us demon-like elves."

"Demon-like?"

"Yes, we have skills in both bow and swordsmanship that can out-skill any general of any army. So we are not just known as the Slayers, but also as the Demon Slayers."

"Wow, you guys sound amazing if you are that skilled."

"We are only skilled in what we were born to do and that is to kill anything evil."

"Evil? As in what?"

"Orcs, Wargs, and even goblins. We have hunted them all down and killed them where ever we find them." Bilbo went silent for awhile, making Stella think that maybe he didn't have any more questions.

"What is your position in the Slayers, Stella," Bilbo asked after a few moments of silence.

"I'm the leader of the Slayers and my friend, Nim, is my lieutenant. She has my back and I have hers."

"I've been curious ever since you arrived at my house… have you and Thorin met before now?" Stella paused for a long while. She looked ahead of her where Thorin was riding ahead on his pony.

"We have known each other for a long time, way before the Lonely Mountain was attacked by Smaug."

"That's a long time." Stella nodded.

"Yes, yes it has been. We met after Thorin's grandfather, Thor, took up the throne and then later found the Arkenstone. That was when my father, the leader of the Slayers at the time, took me there to pledge our alliance with the dwarves. That was when I first saw Thorin. I had never thought I would see a dwarf like him before." Bilbo looked at the Slayer.

"What do you mean, Stella?" Stella quickly snapped back into reality. She had somehow drafted off into her memories of that day.

"Uh… never mind. Forget what I just said." The small hobbit looked at her, confused, but then shrugged it off.

"Ok… by any chance, how old are you and Nim, Stella?"

"I am about a hundred and eighty, and Nim is seventy seven."

"You two are quite young for warriors like yourself." Stella smiled.

"We've trained ever since we were young." Bilbo was slightly stunned.

"How young were you when you started?"

"I started when I was seventeen. Nim started when she was eighteen."

As the group continued to move, the sun slowly set, making it dark sooner than they could ever believe. They set camp up when they it would be best. They were in a clearing they had found in the forest. Snowfire snorted and reared slightly before Stella was finally able to get off of her. She stroked the mare's head, trying to calm her down.

"Jeez, she's really acting up today," Nim said, but it wasn't long before Cerious started to do the same thing. The dapple gray mare snorted and tossed her head. There had to be something in the area that was spooking the horses real bad.

"Now, Cerious is too," Stella responded.

"We should move somewhere else," Gandalf spoke up, "I have a bad feeling about this area."

"We will stay here," Thorin ordered. The old wizard looked at the dwarf prince.

"Stella and Nim's horses can sense that something is up. We should keep moving for at least a little while longer." Thorin shook his head.

"Again, we will stay here." Gandalf sighed deeply before walking away, muttering to himself about someone or something being stubborn. Stella looked over at Nim.

"Why don't we go and look around the area? You know, just to make sure there's no danger anywhere nearby," Stella suggested.

"That's probably a good idea," Nim answered. The two Slayers quickly mounted up again before riding off into the woods. Thorin sighed, unhappy that Stella had gone off into the woods. Stella and Nim quickly made a wide circle around the camp, stopping every so often to check all surroundings.

They didn't see anything they weren't supposed to. All that really surrounded them was forest, forest and even more forest. Stella was relieved to see that nothing was nearby, yet that didn't stop Snowfire and Cerious from snorting and neighing in fright. The horses tried to pull them in the direction of the Lonely Mountain, but Stella and Nim calmed them.

"Seriously, I don't see anything, yet they still act like this," Nim said.

"I don't understand it ei…" Stella trailed off when she saw a fire in the distance. From where she remembered the camp the dwarves had made, the fire was quite close by. How could she have missed it?

"Stella, what is it?" Stella pointed at the fire.

"It's a fire and it looks like it's really close to the camp we made."

"How can you tell?"

"Well, look over to the right of it. There's another fire there, so that must be camp." Nim looked and her friend was right.

"That only means."

"There is danger here and from the way Snowfire is acting, it only means that trolls are nearby."

"Trolls? All the way down here?"

"I guess." The girl's heard someone yell in the direction of the second fire the very next second.

"Well, that can't be good," Stella said, worriedly. Nim nodded and the girls forced their horses in the direction of the yell. Stella slowly took her sword out of its sheath. She was preparing herself for the worst.

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	3. Just Great

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit nor do I make any profit from it

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Stella and Nim stopped their horses a few feet from the fire and tied them to two separate trees. Next, Nim placed a spell on both horses so that they were not detected by the trolls. Stella had her sword ready in her right hand. As she crept closer to get a view, she saw three trolls, just as she had predicted. Unfortunately, as she looked around, she saw that the dwarves and Bilbo had all gotten themselves in a tight situation. She saw that the trolls had them all in tan sacks with all, but their heads, in those sacks. She saw that four dwarves were on a log, hanging over a fire. She shook her head.

"Thorin should have listened to Gandalf," Stella whispered to herself. Nim came back to her side, her bow out and ready if she needed it.

"Stella, what are we going to do," she asked her friend.

"I have an idea, though, it might be cruel to them, but it's the only way we are going to stall the trolls long enough for the sun to raise."

"We have a few minutes at most." Stella sighed.

"Follow my lead, ok?" Nim nodded. Stella stood up and walked into the small clearing the trolls has made. Everyone that was there watched her as she walked along the outside of the clearing.

"Who the hell are you," asked one of the trolls.

"Me, oh come now, you must know," Stella said, teasing the trolls a bit, "Nim, come on out here, will ya?" Nim came out of the bushes, her bow was already strung.

"What do you two want," yelled another troll.

"Well, we were just walking by when we saw that you had a bunch of dwarves…," Stella answered before looking over at Bilbo, "And a hobbit here. What do you plan on doing with them?"

"What the hell does it look like we are doing," yelled the second troll, "We are going to cook them and then eat them." All the dwarves except Thorin started to yell in anger. A couple of them yelled at Stella and Nim for not doing anything.

"Really? Do you really want to do that?"

"Of course." Stella's calm face quickly turned into one of disgust.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why?"

"Well, you see, we have been following these dwarves for days and we have noticed that they all have parasites." Stella looked over at Nim, who nodded immediately. Stella gave a small smile. She was glad that Nim had figured out what she was doing.

"Parasites," yelled a lot of the dwarves.

"We don't have parasites," yelled Kili.

"What the hell are you talking about, Stella," a few dwarves yelled.

"Why did we trust these elves in the first place," a few dwarves yelled.

"They all lie," Stella said, "Would you rather trust an elf that can cut you down any minute, or some dwarves you just caught?"

"Maybe we shouldn't eat them," the third troll said sheepishly.

"What the hell," yelled the second troll, "We aren't going to listen to any of them!" Stella shrugged her shoulders as she walked towards the pile of dwarves. Her back was to the trolls now.

"Alright, whatever, if you want to get sick, then fine by me," Stella said.

"Are you freaken' trying to get us kill," yelled Dwalin. Many of the dwarves continued to yell at her, at Nim, and even at the trolls. Stella looked at Thorin. A small smile appeared on her face, before quickly going away. Thorin's eyes widened, giving Stella the hint that he understood what he was doing.

"Seriously, we don't have parasites," yelled Kili and another dwarf. Out of nowhere, Thorin kicked Kili in the back since he just happened to be near his feet. Balin had also been kicked by Thorin for just being near Kili.

All the dwarves who had happened to be in that pile looked to their leader, confused as to why he had kicked his nephew. Thorin nodded slightly to his right. Before Stella knew it, all the dwarves were yelling out they had fleas, ticks, parasites, and other various things to get the trolls to let them go.

"See, they admit that they have parasites," Stella said as she walked closer to a rock wall behind the dwarves.

"We shouldn't eat them anymore," said the sheepish troll. The more of the leader out of the trolls hit the other on the head with its fist.

"We will eat them no matter what," he yelled. Stella shook her head as she looked over to the other side of the rock wall. She saw a tall, gray figure walking to the top of the rock wall. Stella knew that it was Gandalf.

"Really? You three will risk getting sick to eat some disease infected dwarves," Stella asked.

"You shut up, she-elf," the leader troll spat out. Stella smiled and pointed above her. All three trolls looked up just in time to see Gandalf raise his staff over his head. He brought the staff down and it broke the rock wall in half. Sunlight poured down onto the campsite. More importantly, the sunlight landed on the trolls. They screamed out as the three of them quickly became stone. Stella smiled as she watched the scene before her.

"Gandalf, can you get all of them out of those sacks," Stella said, "Nim and I need to fetch Snowfire and Cerious." The old, gray-bearded wizard nodded before Stella and Nim starting walking off.

"I can't believe they all didn't understand that we were only trying to help them get out of that," Nim said once they were out of hearing range.

"I can. I had to give Thorin a small smile in order for him to understand that we were joking about the parasites," Stella explained, "but I understand what you mean. I guess that they still don't trust elves even if Thorin knows one of them really well." Nim looked over at her black-haired friend. She was blushing, probably from the very thought of the dwarf prince. Nim started to smile a very excited smile.

"I knew it. I was totally right," Nim said out loud, confusing Stella all the while.

"What are you talking about," Stella asked.

"I knew it, I knew it," was Nim's only response.

"I hate you, Nim."

"Oh, you know you love me."

"Sure, let's go with that."

"Hey!" Stella started to laugh loudly.

"You knew I'm joking." Nim softly pushed Stella's right arm. They quickly found their horses and led them back to the small camp that the trolls had made. Snowfire and Cerious were tied to some trees as their mistress's looked around the camp with the dwarves.

"Did you guys find anything interesting," Stella asked as she walked over to Thorin's side.

"A little bit, but there has to be some place where they stayed when the sun came up," Thorin responded.

"Do you mean like a cave?" Thorin looked over at her and nodded. Stella looked around the area. It took her awhile, but she found something that seemed to look like a big rock or a very small hill made of rocks. Stella pointed to it.

"That could work." Thorin looked at where she was pointing and nodded again. He agreed that the big rock could have a cave in it. All of the small company walked over to the rock, surprised to see that Stella was right. There was a cave there, a rather large cave in deed. Thorin walked inside the cave first with Stella right behind him. Stella covered her nose with her right hand.

"Oh, God, what is that smell," she nearly screamed.

"I think that's supposed to be troll stench," Balin commented. Nim did the same thing with her own nose. She too thought it was disgusting. There was some slime on the walls. Small cobwebs in the corners and dirt with a mix of straw on the ground were in the cave as well. The company continued on their way to the back of the cave. Once they had gotten there. They found a lot of treasure and weapons, but no food. Stella walked over to a barrel and looked inside. She pulled out a small, silver sword that was covered in dust. Thorin came over to her side and looked at the sword as well. She handed it to him.

"It seems to be in very good condition, minus the dust," Stella told him. Thorin pulled the silver blade out partly way to look at it more.

"I'm amazed that a sword like this was in here," he commented. Gandalf came over and pulled out another sword that was just slightly longer than Thorin's.

"I know you are not going to like what I say next, Thorin, but these swords are elven made," Gandalf stated. Thorin was about to place the sword that Stella had picked up into the barrel once again when Stella stopped him.

"Please don't," she said, "You may need it later." Thorin sighed before tying the sword around his waist. Stella and Nim went back outside as the rest of the company looked around the cave. Stella heard Gandalf talking to Bilbo about a small elf blade that could tell them when Goblins or Orcs were nearby.

"Stella, I have to ask, do you really think we can help them get the Lonely Mountain back," Nim whispered to her friend.

"No, I don't know, but I need to do something to help them. They lost their home unlike us Slayers who have no home," Stella said, "They don't deserve this at all." Nim looked up at the light blue sky. The girls were silent for a little while longer as they waited for the rest of the company to come back out.

That was when they all heard a small rustling sound nearby. Snowfire and Cerious came running towards all of them, fear in their black colored eyes. Thankfully, Stella and Nim caught them before they could do anything else.

"Snowfire, what's wrong," Stella asked her white mare in the elvish tongue. Snowfire tossed her head as something rustled again. Several bunnies and a small brown sled came into view of the company. A small brown wizard jumped off of the sled and ran over to Gandalf. Stella watched as the two began to talk.

"Radagast the brown, what on earth are you doing here," Gandalf yelled slightly.

"I came as soon as I could," the small wizard said.

"Why did you come here," Gandalf asked.

"I came because…" The small wizard was cut off when the Gandalf told him to stop.

"Come with me. We will speak over there in private." The two wizards went over to a small patch of green, far from the dwarves hearing. Stella stroked her white mare, still trying to figure out what she was so nervous about. Nim walked her horse over to Stella.

"Stella, you don't think it's Orcs, do you," she whispered in Stella's ear.

"It explains why Snowfire is not calming down, but…," Stella was cut off when a loud howl was heard not far from where the company was standing.

"That can't be good," Stella said. Gandalf ran back over to the company once the howl was over; Radagast was right behind him. Gandalf came to a stop next to Bilbo.

"Bilbo, let me see your sword," he asked. Bilbo pulled the small blade out of its sheath. Once he had, Stella saw that the blade was bright blue.

"Orcs," she whispered.

"Everyone pack up, we need to get out of here," Gandalf yelled.

"The ponies are gone. They must have bolted," Kili yelled as he looked around for the ponies.

"Forget about them, we need to move," Gandalf answered. Every dwarf got their things together before following Gandalf and Bilbo through the forest. Stella and Nim mounted up onto their horses as Radagast got onto his sled. Snowfire tossed her head and reared once before landing on all fours.

"How many do you think are," Nim asked.

"No idea, but you know what we will have to do, right," Stella told her friend. Nim sighed.

"You shouldn't risk yourself so much, especially when we have no idea of how big the enemy is. Thorin would not like that plan."

"I don't care. It's the only way." Radagast pulled his sled next to the girls.

"Do you two have a plan," he asked.

"Yes, but we may need your help," Stella responded.

"I can certainly do that," the wizard said. Stella smiled before forcing Snowfire to follow the others. Nim and Radagast followed close behind. It wasn't long before they all got in the middle of a huge meadow. Gandalf showed the way to a huge rock that they all stayed hidden behind.

"Does anyone have a plan that could help us get to where I think we need to be," Gandalf asked everyone softly.

"I do," Stella answered, "But I will need Nim and Radagast to help me."

"Alright, what is your plan?"

"I will need Radagast to distract the Orcs and the Wargs. I need him to make them run in different directions. Nim will help you all get to where you need to be, Gandalf. She will take out any Warg or Orc that tries to get in the way of your escape. I will, on the other hand, try and kill all the others." Thorin looked over at Stella.

"Are you crazy, Stella," he asked her in a raised voice, "Basically you are asking for all of us not to do anything while you kill every single one of them. I do not like this plan."

"I knew you might say that, but this is the only way. You all need to go with Gandalf. Nim and I have dealt with the same amount of enemies by ourselves before. We will be fine."

"Thorin, she's our only chance of getting out of here safely," Fili said, "We should at least let them try." Thorin looked at the rest of his loyal dwarves to see them all nodding. They were agreeing with Fili. Thorin finally agreed, but he was still not happy.

"Radagast, can you go out there now and get their attention," Stella asked the wizard, who nodded his answer.

"How are bunnies going to out run Gundabad Wargs," asked Dwalin.

"Do not underestimate these Rhosgobel rabbits," Radagast replied before he turned his bunnies around. Stella shrugged before forcing Snowfire out from the cover of the rock. She made the mare stop at the top of a small hill. From there she could see Radagast starting his work. He already had the attention of the Orcs. There had to be at least fifteen, maybe twenty, Orcs total.

Stella looked back to see Gandalf starting to head in the direction Stella remembered to be the back way into Rivendell, the elven city nearby. Nim was close behind. Her bow was in her right hand and she was directing Cerious with soft pressure with her legs. Stella unsheathed her sword with her right hand.

"Alright, Snowfire, let's do this," she whispered. Snowfire nickered softly before quickly galloping after the Orcs.

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	4. Trust is There

Sorry that it's been awhile since we updated this story, but February was a very busy month for both me and krooglekat. I hope you guys like this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit nor do I make any profit from it

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Stella turned Snowfire after the last Warg and Orc. The mare quickly gained ground and before her mistress knew it, they were beside the beast. Stella took her sword and swung it at the Orc's head, quickly cutting it off. Then she jabbed her sword into the Warg's shoulder, paralyzing it quickly. The Warg and its rider fell to the ground, without a sound. That helped Stella keep her position a secret. She didn't need all the Orcs coming at her at once.

Radagast quickly turned his rabbits to the right. Stella figured that he was turning around, so she made Snowfire go left and behind some rocks. She watched from around the rock as the Orcs followed Radagast, who thankfully did not go pass the dead Orc. Stella followed and killed three more Orcs before Radagast turned again. As a huge rock wall was coming up on Stella's right, she had killed a total of seven Orcs, leaving only about ten.

Once the huge rock wall was beside them, Stella was about to swing at an Orc to her left when she felt a huge presence to her right. She looked up in time to see a Warg coming after her. The animal grabbed Stella by her right arm and pulled her off of Snowfire with a huge amount of force, making the she-elf drop her sword on the ground as well. Stella screamed in pain as she felt like her right arm was about to be pulled out of its socket. Snowfire came back to the black-haired Slayer's side just in time see her hurt the Warg with her sword, which was now in her left hand.

Unfortunately, the Warg howled loudly, gaining the attention of the Orcs. They turned around and surrounded Stella. She looked around at all of them. She looked passed the Orcs to see the company reaching the back door to Rivendell. Stella wasn't paying any attention as the "dead" Warg bit her right arm again. Stella screamed loudly.

Thorin, who was over at the rocks ushering his loyal friends down the tunnel along with Gandalf, heard her scream. He looked over in time to see why she had screamed. She killed the Warg with her sword just a few seconds after Thorin had looked over. It dropped to the ground with a thud once it had let her arm go. Her right arm was completely covered in her red blood. The red liquid dripped down onto the grass, staining some of it red. Stella kneeled down on her left knee and held her injured arm in her left.

"Stella," yelled Thorin. The Orcs turned to see the company several feet behind them. Nim quickly cursed under her breath and fired an arrow at one of the Wargs and another at its rider, killing them both. She then fired another one at another Warg.

"Gandalf, you need to get them out of here," she yelled at the wizard as the last dwarf went down the tunnel, minus Thorin. The wizard nodded and grabbed Thorin from behind.

"Gandalf, let go of me, I need to help Stella," he yelled in protest as he tried to get over to black-haired Slayer's side, but the wizard was able to drag Thorin down the small tunnel. Nim rode Cerious over to Stella's side by killing a few more Orcs and Wargs. She placed an arrow in her bow, ready to use if she needed to.

"Look at what we have here, boys," the lead Orc said, laughing, "Some Slayers."

"What do you want," Stella spat out.

"Oh, nothing, just some fun killing you two," he laughed out again. Many of the other Orcs laughed at the same time. It wasn't long before they stopped laughing. As the Wargs tried to take a step forward, a huge army of elven horse riders galloped over. They quickly took out every Warg and Orc in a matter of seconds with their swords and arrows.

They, in return, lost a few themselves, but not as many as their enemy. Stella watched as an elf on a dark brown horse came over to stand before them. He was dressed in silver armor and had on some kind of dark red cloak behind him. On his saddle was a sheath for his silver sword, which was still in his right hand. He looked down at Stella, a little bit of anger in his brown eyes.

"You should be more careful, Stella," he told her.

"What do you want, Elrond," Stella breathed as she got back up on her feet. Snowfire nudged her mistress, telling her that she was nearby. Stella patted the mare on the shoulder. Snowfire quickly understood and laid down on the ground. The black-haired Slayer quickly climbed into the saddle, placing her feet in the stirrups at the same time. Once she was on her mare's back, Snowfire slowly stood up on her feet. The horse nickered softly.

"I would like to know why you are out here," Elrond asked. Stella looked at the elven lord.

"That is none of your business." Elrond sighed.

"Come with us. We will get you healed." Stella nodded and followed the elven lord and his troops. Nim had Cerious walk beside Snowfire, just in case Stella needed help with anything.

As they were walking up the path, Stella looked up to see Elrond and his men riding way ahead of them. She watched as they circled around some people. Stella sighed softly when she saw it was Thorin and the rest of them. The horses stopped circling before Elrond finally dismounted. He was talking to Gandalf as Stella and Nim rode up.

"I was with them, Elrond," Stella said to the elven lord. Elrond looked at her and nodded before going back to his conversation with Gandalf. The dwarves and Bilbo looked over at her as she spoke. All of their eyes immediately looked at her arm. Worry was in all of their eyes when they saw the bloody mess.

Most of them thought that maybe she won't be able to continue on or that she won't even be able to hold a sword again. There were teeth marks from the Warg imbedded in her arm. Those could take days or weeks to finally heal. Then there was the loss of blood. She had to have lost a lot of blood from the bites and from not being able to heal it right away.

"Stella, what happened," Bilbo spoke up.

"It's nothing, Bilbo," Stella replied with a small smile, "I've had worse." Thorin looked at Stella; his eyes held the most worry. He tried to walk over to her side, but Gandalf placed a hand on his shoulder, telling him to stop. Nim touched Stella's left arm, making her friend turn to her.

"Come on, let's get you healed up," she said. Stella nodded before looking over to Elrond.

"I assume that the healing rooms are still in the same place as usual," she asked the elven lord.

"Yes, they are, Stella," replied Elrond. The two Slayers walked their horses over to the barn and gave them to stablehands. After that, Nim walked Stella over to the healing rooms. Once there and sitting in a chair, Nim began work on healing Stella's arm. She cleaned the wound, gave her medicine, and then began to wrap a bandage around her arm. Stella flinched when her friend finished tying the bandage in place.

"There we go," Nim said, "That should be ok. Now whatever you do, do not move it too much for the night." Stella stood up from the chair slowly. She placed her left hand gently on her injured arm and sighed.

"Alright." Nim smiled softly.

"Let's go get something to eat," Nim suggested. Stella nodded and followed her friend into the dining hall. Once there, Stella could see that Thorin was sitting with Gandalf and Elrond at a separate table. The other dwarves and Bilbo were sitting at a table close by. Nim walked over to the table that Fili was sitting at and sat down next to him and his brother near the end of the table.

Stella looked over at the table that Thorin was sitting at. He didn't look happy about having to sit at the same table as the elven lord. Stella bent down to whisper something in her friend's ear.

"I'm going to go and join Thorin over at the other table," she whispered to Nim. Nim nodded before Stella walked away from the table. She sat herself down in an empty chair next to Thorin. He looked over at her and smiled. Stella smiled back at him. She guessed that he was now more comfortable since she was sitting next to him. She looked over at Elrond as he examined Gandalf's new sword then Thorin's.

"These two swords appear to be old swords of my kin," Elrond began, "It seems they were made in Gondolin for the Goblin-wars. This, Thorin, says that its name is Orcrist, the Goblin-cleaver in the old tongue. And, Gandalf, yours is Glamdring, Foe-hammer. Keep them well." Elrond gave Thorin his sword back before he looked over at Gandalf.

"Tell me, Gandalf, what is it that you need," Elrond asked.

"I need you to help us figure out something," Gandalf explained. Stella looked at him confused.

"What are you talking about, Gandalf," she asked.

"You will see in a moment, Stella." She watched as the old wizard took out his map and laid it in front of Elrond. The elf looked at it for some time, running his hand over it as well, before leaning back in his chair.

"I understand, Gandalf," he answered after some thinking, "We will have to wait until the moon is completely out for us to see it." Stella finally realized what was going on. She had wished she had paid more attention to Gandalf's map when she had seen it the first time.

"Moon-letters," Stella stated. Elrond nodded.

They waited for dark to finally come before they went to one place Elrond never wanted people to see, but it was necessary. Elrond placed the map on a small crystal like desk and waited. The moon came out from behind the clouds and shined onto the map. Letters in silver ink shined on the map. Elrond quickly read over it before it vanished into thin air.

"From what I was able to read from the writing on it was that you have to wait for the last day of Durin's Day for the key-hole to shine. What is Durin's Day, may I ask," Elrond questioned.

"The first day of the dwarves' New Year," Thorin explained. Elrond stayed quiet for a little while before finally sighing.

"So this is your purpose. You are going to enter the mountain," he asked. Thorin's blue eyes narrowed at the elven lord's question. He had figured it all out from only reading the moon letters on the map.

"And what of it," Thorin spat back.

"There are some that would not deem it wise." Elrond looked over at Stella. She had been leaning against the wall near the doorway. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her right leg was over her left. She looked to be quite relaxed in that position.

"Especially if you are going to take a Slayer like her with you," Elrond continued. Stella looked at Elrond; anger started to show itself on her beautiful face.

"And why would you say that," Thorin almost shouted again.

"He's just saying it because he wants me to stay behind," Stella said as she slowly lifted up her right arm, "You know, because I'm injured." Thorin walked over to Stella's side, placing his right hand on her left shoulder. His light blue eyes looked at hers, before he turned back to Elrond.

"She will stay by my side," he finally said, "I won't leave her here in the hands of some elves." Elrond's eyes filled with anger before he quickly calmed himself down.

"And why would you want to keep an injured Slayer with you? She will be of no use to you."

"She will be fine. She has her friend to help her." Stella smiled softly as she watched Thorin stand up for her. Elrond shook his head.

"It is still unwise to keep someone who is injured on a journey like this," Elrond said, "I would like to know why you trust her more than me."

"It's simple really."

"Oh, and how is it simple?"

"I have known her far longer than I have known you."

"But she must have been on many different trips for long periods of time, so you won't be able to see as long as you wanted, Thorin Oakenshield." Stella could hear the anger in his voice starting to come out. This was not going to end pretty for anyone.

"That does not mean I don't trust her more than you."

"Do you know her as well as you should," Elrond asked suddenly. Thorin looked at him with a confused look on his face now. Stella shook her head. She knew all too well what Elrond was hinting at.

"What do you mean?"

"That's enough," Gandalf finally spoke up, "We don't have time for this. Thorin, Stella, you two may leave. I have other things to discuss with Elrond." Stella nodded before leaving with Thorin. The two of them walked back to the other dwarves, Bilbo, and Nim. Thorin went to stand on the balcony by himself.

The others enjoyed themselves around a small fire. Some of the dwarves were trying to cook some of the vegetables over the fire. Fili looked over at Nim, who was sitting beside him. She was truly enjoying herself with the small company. He smiled before getting back into the conversation they were all having. Stella looked over at Thorin. He was still on the balcony. Stella walked over to his side.

"Is everything ok, Thorin," she asked him. The brown-haired dwarf looked over at her.

"I think so," he answered her, "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About what Elrond said earlier." Stella stayed silent and looked away from him. Thorin continued to look at her.

"What did he mean by that?"

"I think he was hinting at how we Slayers grow a lot quicker."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean by the age of five, a Slayer looks like they are fifteen. By age nine, they look twenty. Only the Slayers do this because they have to be prepared for battle at all times plus we move a lot more than they do. The elves don't grow as fast as us because they don't have to be as prepared for battle as we do." Stella looked over at Thorin. He was now looking out at the scenery before them.

"I'm sorry that I lied to you about who I really am." Thorin shook his head.

"It's fine," He answered her.

Back at the campfire, the dwarves continued to have their fun. All of them didn't notice when Bilbo pulled Balin aside.

"Can I ask you something," he whispered to the dwarf.

"Sure, what is it, Bilbo," Balin questioned.

"By any chance, how did Thorin and Stella meet?" Balin quickly thought about it before finally answering.

"Well, I can tell you this, Thorin was not like how he is now," Balin replied.

"Do you mean Thorin was different in his past?" Balin nodded.

"Yes, especially when he met Stella."

"How was he different?"

"From what I heard, he talked more especially when Stella was around."

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	5. First Meeting

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit nor do I make any profit from it

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A little over a hundred and seventy years ago, the Arkenstone was found in Erebor and many different races came to pay their respects to King Thror. Dwarves from other groups, elves, humans, everyone went to pay their respects to the dwarf king. Thranduil of Mirkwood visited about a week before the new arrivals: the Slayers. This included Stella, when she was at the time a lieutenant, and her father, Adan, who was the leader of the Slayers.

Adan was a little on the tall side for a Slayer. He had short, dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. He wore black and silver armor over a black tunic. He had a silver sword tucked under a black belt. He rode towards the city of Erebor on a blue roan stallion by the name of Moon. Adan was a man that looked to be thirty, but was actually over three hundred years old. He was very wise for his age. He could quickly figure out a good enough strategy on the battlefield in a matter of minutes. He was one of the best leaders the Slayers ever had.

Stella looked to be twenty at that time, but in reality she was much older than that. Stella was riding a dapple gray mare by the name of Dawn, not Snowfire. She hadn't gotten Snowfire yet.

The dapple gray mare tossed her head several times as they rode up to the doors of Erebor. She wasn't quite familiar with this land, so she wasn't sure what to think of all the different smells. Stella reached down and stroked the mare's gray neck, quickly calming the mare. Adan and Stella both dismounted off of their horses and were lead to the throne room by two guards.

As they were walking towards the throne, Stella saw two dwarves standing on either side of the throne. Sitting on the throne was a dwarf with gray hair and a crown on his head. Stella figured that he was King Thror. The dwarf on the left side of the throne had some gray hairs in his dark brown hair and beard. This dwarf had to be Thrain, son of Thror. Stella looked over at the third dwarf. He was a lot younger. He had no gray hairs at all. He was dressed in armor and had an axe by his side, just like his father and grandfather. This dwarf had to be Thorin, son of Thrain.

"Adan, it is good to see you again," Thror greeted. Adan and Stella both bowed to the dwarf king.

"The same to you, Thror," Adan answered as he turned to point at Stella, "This is my eldest daughter, Stella Night. She will be taking over my position as leader of the Slayers."

"It's nice to meet you, Stella," Thror greeted calmly.

"And you too, King Thror," Stella replied politely. The dwarf king smiled before looking to his grandson.

"Thorin, could you show Stella around outside while I talk to Adan for a few moments?" Thorin nodded before walking down the stairs to Stella's side.

"If you will follow me, Stella," he said. The black-haired Slayer nodded before following the young dwarf prince.

As they walked towards the training grounds, Thorin looked over at the girl walking beside him. She was looking around at the scenery as they walked. She appeared to be quite interested in it all. How she could be interested confused the young dwarf prince.

"May I ask you something," Thorin asked out of nowhere. Stella looked over at him.

"What is it, Prince Thorin," Stella asked back.

"By any chance, are you just as good as your father in fighting?" Stella smiled softly.

"Not really. I'm still in training."

"Really?"

"Yes, but my father keeps telling everyone that I am a natural." Thorin looked at the Slayer, quite curious now of her strength. Now that Thorin looked at her closer, she didn't really look like she could be all that strong, but then again, he could be mistaken.

"A natural? Shall we test that?" Stella stopped, making the dwarf prince also stop, but a few feet ahead of her. Stella looked at Thorin, her eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Are you asking me to go a few rounds against you, Prince Thorin?" Thorin smirked.

'I could get used to this girl,' he thought.

"Why not? My grandfather and father are both talking to your father... we might as well try and enjoy ourselves while we have the time to spare," Thorin explained as he shrugged. Stella smiled before she whistled. Dawn, her dapple gray mare, galloped to her side immediately after the whistle. Stella patted the horse's shoulder before she turned back to Thorin.

"So, how exactly were you thinking of "testing" me," Stella asked him. Dawn nudged her mistress's right arm with her muzzle. Stella patted the mare's head once more.

"No horses at all," Thorin stated. Dawn snorted in disagreement, making Thorin and Stella laughed.

"That's fine," Stella replied.

"Just you, me, and our two weapons."

"Alright, sounds good to me." Thorin led her over to a small battlefield nearby. Stella tied Dawn to a wooden pole nearby the field before taking off her black cloak. She placed it over the dark brown saddle on Dawn's back. She went and stood before Thorin. They both unsheathed their weapons and touched the ends together.

"Have you ever battled a dwarf before, Stella," Thorin asked as they began to walk in a circle, still facing each other and weapons pointed in the middle.

"No, just the filth known as Orcs," Stella responded, making Thorin smirk slightly again. He could definitely get used to this girl.

Thorin quickly thrush his axe forward, but Stella was able to block it in time. She moved to her right and tried to swing for Thorin's left leg, but he moved out of the way. He swung his axe down again, but missed Stella by half an inch. Stella rolled away before jumping up into the air. She landed on her feet with ease. Thorin smiled.

"Natural… I can definitely see it," Thorin told Stella. The black-haired Slayer smiled.

"Well, thank you for the complement, Prince Thorin," she said back. Thorin thrust his axe at Stella once again. The two of them continued to throw blows at each other, but none of them landed. The dwarf prince and the Slayer were evenly matched. Thorin and Stella stopped after awhile for a short break. Stella sheathed her sword and walked over to the dapple gray mare, who greeted her with a soft neigh. She patted the horse on the shoulder before turning back to the brown-haired dwarf prince.

"You appear to be well trained also, Prince Thorin," Stella commented.

"I have trained since I was little," Thorin answered, "You can call me just Thorin if you want to." Stella nodded.

"Ok," she replied, "Thorin." The dwarf prince smiled before chuckling under his breath.

"I bet our fathers are done talking. Why don't we head back to the palace?"

"Ok, that sounds fine." The black-haired Slayer grabbed Dawn's reins before following Thorin back to the dwarf city. Once they were at the gates, Stella gave Dawn to one of the guards. The guard took Dawn back to where they had tied up Moon, Adan's horse.

Thorin asked one of the guards at the gates if his grandfather and Adan were done talking. When he was told that they weren't done, Thorin suggested to Stella about taking a walk around Erebor itself. Stella agreed and the two of them began to walk around the dwarf city. She saw small dwarf markets here and there. She also saw blacksmiths working hard on new swords and axes. Stella had to admit, Erebor was quite the big city even if it was under a mountain.

"Stella," called Thorin, forcing the young Slayer girl out of her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Would you like a drink," Thorin asked as he pointed at a small bar.

"Oh, I don't drink beer or anything like that," Stella told him.

"Then do you want to get something to eat at the very least?" Stella nodded.

"Sure." Thorin led her inside of the small bar. The bar was packed with dwarven men and women drinking and laughing. Stella was amazed at how big the place was even though the outside made it look so small. Thorin took Stella near the back of the bar, where it was a little bit quieter. He pulled out her chair has she walked up to the table.

"Thank you," Stella commented as she sat down in her chair. Thorin nodded before he sat down across from Stella. A small, blonde-haired dwarf woman approached them and took their orders. Thorin ordered a beer and some bread that he and Stella could share. Once the dwarf woman was gone, Thorin turned his attention back to Stella.

"May I ask you something, Stella?"

"You sure do ask a lot of questions, but go ahead." Thorin smiled.

"You said earlier that you have fought against Orcs and Wargs… How often have you fought?"

"Are you asking me that because I'm a girl and I'm not supposed to be fighting?" Thorin shook his head.

"No, I'm not asking it because of that. I'm asking because I find it amazing that a woman like yourself is able to fight as well as you do." Stella smiled.

"Thank you, but I'm not that good."

"Yeah you are. You were able to keep up with me and I was trained by both my father and grandfather."

"As was I." Thorin looked at Stella, slightly shocked, but he didn't show it.

"Really now?"

"Yeah. I only started a couple years ago. That was when I was strong enough to wield a sword or least when my father finally gave me permission to fight." Thorin chuckled under his breath.

"I started when I was fifteen."

"Fifteen," Stella questioned, a little shock covered her voice.

"Yep."

"Wow, that's far longer than myself."

"By only a few years, if I am correct?" Stella nodded.

"You are." Stella and Thorin had to be at that small bar for at least an hour or so, talking and getting to know each other. Who would have thought that a Slayer and a dwarf prince would get along this well? Not a soul.

* * *

"Did Stella and Thorin really battle against each other like that," Bilbo asked. Balin nodded.

"At least that was what I heard," Balin replied, "Only if I had been there to see it. I would have loved to see Stella up against Thorin." The old dwarf looked over at the pair. They were talking, most likely over old memories. This made Balin happy to see that Thorin was enjoying himself, even if it was just a little bit.

"I'm just amazed that even after Erebor was attacked and we didn't receive help from the elves that Thorin can still trust Stella," Balin commented. Bilbo quickly agreed. It was impressive that Thorin was still able to trust Stella so much now just as he did in the past. After all, she was just like the elves in a way.

It was long before Stella and Nim left the small gathering to go get some much needed sleep, especially Stella.

Once there, Nim helped Stella out of her Slayer outfit. She didn't want her friend moving her arm all that much so she decided that she would help. Stella easily got herself into a white nightgown, without wincing in pain for a couple moments, before settling down into her bed. Nim did the same several minutes after her.

"Stella, how your arm is feeling," Nim asked as she rolled over to look at her friend's bed. Stella stayed on her left side, facing away from Nim.

"It's okay, but the pain is kind of bothering me," Stella responded. Nim sighed.

"I hope it will feel better soon. I don't want you to get attacked again and suddenly can't do anything for the longest of time."

"I feel the same way." Nim rolled over onto her back and looked up at the stone ceiling of the room.

"Well then, let's hope for the best that your arm feels better by the time we move out of Rivendell." Stella smiled softly to herself before she closed her eyes. She definitely was tired. She had to guess that killing all those Wargs and then being injured had worn her out just a bit. She sighed softly before she finally fell asleep for the night.

* * *

Please Review


	6. Choices

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit nor do I make any profit from it

* * *

Several weeks passed by as the dwarves of Erebor continued to walk around Middle Earth in order to find some kind of home. They would pass humans and elves along the way; no one would help. It wasn't long before the Slayers finally found them one afternoon.

Stella was riding on Snowfire, since Dawn was now being ridden by someone else. Snowfire was an usual horse. Snowfire was known as an immortal horse. She can still die of course, but she can live far longer than any other horse can. Only new Slayer leaders were awarded horses like Snowfire if they are able to prove that they can handle them, and Stella was able to prove that. That could only mean that Stella was the new Slayer leader and her father was gone. Her father had died proud. He died in battle, just what he had wanted.

Snowfire tossed her head high as Stella looked down a hill at the campsite the dwarves of Erebor had built. It was huge; meaning there were a lot of dwarves from Erebor in that campsite. Stella's group of Slayers was back at their campsite, setting it up and getting ready for nightfall. Stella knew from a scout's report that the dwarves were nearby and she wanted to see if she could talk to Thorin.

Snowfire turned her head towards the right. She snorted softly before moving more to the left. Something was off about that night, but that didn't stop Stella from at least trying to get into the campsite.

Stella smiled quietly to herself as she looked at the campsite. She hadn't seen the dwarf prince for several weeks now, mostly from having to take care of any job given to her group of Slayers.

She kicked Snowfire's sides softly, making the white mare walk forward. As they walked into the campsite, Stella was able to see that some dwarves were still out and about. Some were cooking some food around a small fire and others were busy with cleaning up to get ready for the night.

Snowfire shook her head, messing up her black mane, in protest of all the dwarves nearby. She wasn't quite use to them, but she had to eventually. She was going to be around them for quite awhile.

Stella forced Snowfire to keep walking through the campsite. Dwarves on all sides watched as the Slayer leader continued on her way. Most of the dwarf children, that were present at the time, watched in awe. They had no idea who the young woman was, but they had to admit that she looked strong. For the more adult dwarves, they looked at Stella in both curiosity and disapproval. Stella couldn't blame them, of course. She couldn't blame them for still not trusting any kind of elf, which included the Slayers. She doubted they would want the Slayers help at the moment, but she had to at least try to give some help to the now homeless dwarves.

Snowfire pulled at the reins slightly, waking Stella up from her thoughts. The black-haired Slayer was so into her thoughts that she hadn't been paying attention to where they were going. Thankfully, Snowfire had. The white mare was quite intelligent for an animal. Stella dismounted from Snowfire's back before continuing on her way. She didn't get far.

Two dwarf soldiers blocked her way. Stella had actually almost run into them since they had come out of nowhere. Well, they came from behind a tent, but still, Stella hadn't seem them.

"Do you have business here, miss," one of them asked. Stella looked at the dwarf. He had dark brown hair and dark colored eyes. He was dressed in some silver armor. His helmet was underneath his arm. Most likely the dwarf and his partner were on their way back to their tent.

"Not really, but I was hoping I could talk to Prince Thorin," Stella replied, "I'm Stella Night."

The dwarf paused, thinking.

"Do you mean Stella Night of the Slayers," his partner asked.

Stella nodded her answer.

"We'll take you to him," one of the dwarf soldiers said as they both turned around. Stella followed them towards a small hill. Stella sighed softly. She should have known that Thorin and his family would choose a high place to set up their tent.

One of the dwarves held his hand out in order to hold onto Snowfire's reins once they were near the tent, but Stella told him softly that Snowfire would be fine without someone holding her. The other dwarf walked into the tent to tell Thorin and his family that Stella was here. As the dwarf was inside the tent, Stella tied the dark brown reins onto the saddle as to make sure they didn't fall from Snowfire's neck.

Snowfire turned towards Stella, her dark brown eyes telling the young woman that she was slightly uncomfortable, but would stay where she was. Stella patted the mare's shoulder, saying Snowfire would be fine.

"You can come in, Stella Night," the dwarf soldier from earlier said from inside the tent. Stella gave Snowfire one last pat before walking towards the tent. Inside was a long, wooden table covered in maps and other papers. There were no chairs, so most likely this was only the tent for having meetings.

Stella looked over at one side of the table to see the dwarf prince and his grandfather standing there, looking at a map. On either side of them were two slightly gray-haired dwarves. They had to be advisors for the dwarf king.

Thror looked up from the map he was examining. His old eyes landed on Stella. He smiled softly at her.

"It's nice to see you again, Stella Night," he politely greeted.

"Same to you, King Thror," the black-haired Slayer greeted back. Her eyes wondered over to Thorin. He hadn't looked up, yet.

"Why are you here, Stella," asked one of the older dwarves. Thorin looked over at Stella, interested in what her answer would be.

"I'm here to see if I can help in any way possible," Stella replied, "I wasn't there in time to help defend Erebor from Smaug, so this is the least I can do."

"There was no need for you to do such anything," Thorin said a little on the harsh side. Stella sighed softly, but nodded in agreement. She wasn't about to argue. Outside, Snowfire neighed loudly. One of the dwarf soldiers outside came running into the tent, fear in his eyes.

"What's going on," Thorin asked roughly.

"Enemy spotted outside of the campsite," he yelled slightly, "I don't know what they are, but they are huge."

Stella immediately moved outside of the tent with Thorin and the other dwarves, minus Thor. Snowfire tossed her head several times before rearing once. That could only mean one thing: Wargs.

Stella went over to Snowfire's side and mounted up.

"Stella, what do you think you are doing," Thorin yelled out.

"It's Wargs," Stella told him, "Snowfire only acts like this when Wargs are nearby."

"Wargs," questioned one of the dwarf soldiers.

Stella shook her head. Of course the dwarves won't have heard of wolf-like beasts. They only recently came to this area thanks to someone.

"Do me a favor and get at least three soldiers around each citizen tent. If you can't do that, then at least two will do," Stella told the dwarves, "Leave four here at the king's tent. Leave the rest to me."

Stella quickly turned Snowfire to the edge of the campsite before anyone, especially Thorin, could reject her idea. Stella looked to the distance and saw at least five Wargs coming towards the camp.

Stella's dark blue eyes narrowed. Something felt wrong, but Stella went ahead and forced the white mare to charge at the creatures. The five wolf-like beasts took an interest in her and Snowfire, so they ignored the campsite completely. They all made a circle around her, each standing on a different side of the white mare. Stella unsheathed her sword before Snowfire charged at one of the beasts.

The Warg tried to bite at Snowfire's right side, but the mare swung towards the left. That gave Stella an opening to swing at the Warg and, of course, the black-haired Slayer took it. She swung at the Warg, cutting at its chest. The Warg fell down onto the ground dead. A Warg charged from behind, but Snowfire was able to buck in time. She kicked the wolf in the chest and again in the head, killing it instantly. Thankfully, Stella didn't fall off as the white mare was doing this.

Stella turned Snowfire towards the other three Wargs. All three of them were huge in both size and muscle. Stella shook her head. This was not going to be an easy job.

Snowfire reared up onto her hind legs before quickly jumping into the air. The Warg on the farthest right ran forward and tried to get to Snowfire's underbelly, but Stella was able to react first.

As Snowfire reared up, Stella placed her sword back into its sheath. She then took out her bow and an arrow. She strung it and waited for a Warg to react. When the one on the right reacted, she shot the arrow into its heart, instantly killing it. Snowfire landed in front of the center Warg. She charged at it, head down. The Warg growled loudly at the white mare as she came closer to her. She turned around while kicking her back legs out. Her hooves hit the Warg in the head, hard. Stella strung another arrow and shot it at the last Warg, before it could even take one step. Stella turned to the center Warg and shot an arrow into its head as well, just to make sure that it was dead.

Snowfire lifted her head up as she came to a halt. She shook her head. They had done their job and now the mare was tired. Stella turned the mare back to the campsite. She saw that Thorin was waiting on the edge of the campsite, axe in hand. Stella expected this. Thorin, of course, would want to make sure that she was okay, after all she had just charged at five Wargs without any back up.

Snowfire stopped next to Thorin, without protesting first. She still wasn't use to the dwarf prince at all. She snorted loudly, tossing her head up high all the while.

"Did you even think once that maybe that was just a little dangerous," Thorin asked her. There really wasn't an angry tone to his voice, but Stella could sense that there might be. Snowfire snorted at Thorin in anger, not in fear. She could sense that the dwarf prince was not quite happy with her owner.

"I did think," Stella said just under a yell, "I thought about the children that you had in this campsite who have not seen a good home in weeks. That's what a Slayer does. They have to risk themselves to protect the innocent people from evil." Thorin looked away.

"I…," he began, but didn't continue.

"It's okay," Stella told him, "It's really the least I could do to help." Thorin nodded his thanks. The black-haired Slayer looked closer at the dwarf prince. She could see that his blue eyes were tired. It looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep in a long time.

"Are you alright, Thorin," Stella asked, "You look like you haven't gotten any sleep." Thorin chuckled to himself.

"You should be the one talking," he stated.

"I'm supposed to be a little on the tired side," Stella responded, "it's part of the job."

Thorin shook his head.

"I'm fine, trust me."

"Whatever you say."

Stella turned the white mare around, making it seem like she was about to go back to her own campsite.

"Hold on, Stella," Thorin slightly ordered. Stella looked back at the brown-haired dwarf. She pulled slightly on the reins, making the white mare back up.

"What is it," she asked, now having Snowfire standing still.

"What exactly did you want to help with," he questioned.

Stella raised an eyebrow. She was curious as to why he was asking her now about helping. Why not earlier?

"Anything really," she replied, "Anything within my ability of course. Why?"

"Well, we have been planning on trying to get the mines of Moria back from the Orcs."

"The Orcs?"

Stella looked at him, shock and slight anger on her face. Snowfire moved right, getting some distance from the dwarf prince.

"Thorin, are you nuts," Stella asked, "In your army's condition, you would be slaughtered."

* * *

Stella woke up early that morning in pain, not from the memory she just had, but from her arm. She sat up in bed and ripped the bandage off her right arm. She flung it onto the floor, completely tired of the thing. She looked at her arm. It was covered with dried blood, but it didn't appear to be still bleeding.

Stella touched the wounded arm, feeling the skin. New skin was now forming over the wounds, so it was healing.

Stella stood up from the bed; the white sheets fell off her body as she stood up. She was dressed in her white nightgown. It ran along the stone floor; obviously it was too long for small Slayer.

Stella walked over to the balcony that was connected to the room. She ran her right hand through her black hair as she walked out onto the balcony. She sighed softly to herself.

What on earth was she going to do? They were supposed to be at the mountain by Durin's day. The dwarves had no ponies. There was only one thing for Stella to do. She had to go and find her Slayer group. She had told them to follow them close by. Maybe she could find them and bring them to the dwarves. Each dwarf could be on the back of a horse and just behind each Slayer rider.

Stella turned around quickly and grabbed her clothes. She changed into them, making sure not to wake Nim or hurt her arm. As she made her way down to the stables, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail with a dark blue ribbon. She found Snowfire's stall and brought the white mare out into the hall.

Stella tacked up the white mare, making sure to still be quiet as to not disturb Cerious.

Snowfire looked at her owner, confusion in her brown eyes as the black-haired Slayer placed the saddle on the mare's back. Stella shook her head, telling the mare not to complain. Snowfire looked back in front of her, snorting. Stella place her sword onto the saddle. Once placing her bow and arrow on her back, Stella led Snowfire out of the stables. She quickly mounted up before looking at Rivendell. It was a beautiful place, but she had to go. She had to find her group. She just had to.

Stella kicked the white mare's sides. Snowfire reared up before galloping away, away from Rivendell, and away from Thorin and his followers.

* * *

Please Review


	7. Escape

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit nor do I make any profit from it

* * *

Thorin woke up early that morning as well. He was sleeping on the balcony they had food on late last night. He got up from the stone floor, making sure not to disturb Fili or Kili. The two of them decide to sleep nearby. Why they decided that Thorin didn't want to know.

The brown-haired dwarf prince walked over to the balcony rail when he thought her heard hooves hitting the stone floor. He knew the stables were nearby, so he figure that someone was coming into Rivendell.

Thorin looked over the rail and at the dark brown stables. Watching carefully, he saw Stella and Snowfire walking out of the stables. Confusion was in his blue eyes. He had to wonder what she was up to.

Stella mounted up onto the white mare. The black-haired Slayer looked around. Thorin shook his head.

"She wouldn't dare," he whispered.

Stella's legs kicked the white mare's sides. Thorin watched as Snowfire reared up before galloping away. He slammed his fist down, annoyed and angered.

"Why would she leave," he whispered, "Without saying anything."

Thorin turned around, angrily, before he began to wake his comrades. Most of them asked why he had waken them, but he didn't give an answer.

"We need to talk to Nim," Thorin told them finally. He did not mention a word about Stella. He would tell them later. Right now, he just needed to talk to Nim.

Thorin, Bilbo, and his company walked to the room Nim and Stella had been staying in, of course not forgetting their things. He knocked on the door, hard. He wanted to make sure Nim would wake up.

The brown-haired Slayer opened the door, rubbing her eyes. Thankfully, she had woken up a few minutes ago and had gotten dressed. Nim looked at Thorin with surprise.

"Thorin," she began, "What are you doing here?"

"Do you know where Stella went," he asked her. Nim's green eyes looked at the dwarf prince with confusion.

"I thought she was talking with you," Nim told him.

"No, she's not," Thorin explained, "She rode off on Snowfire."

"What," Nim yelled along with the other dwarves and Bilbo.

"Why would she do that," Nim asked.

"I thought you would know," Thorin told her.

Nim turned around and grabbed her bow and arrows. She closed the door behind her as she walked into the hallway.

"Listen," Nim ordered, "We need to leave anyway, right?"

Thorin nodded.

"Okay then," Nim continued, "I'll go get Cerious tacked up. Met me at the front gate. We'll continue without Stella."

"Shouldn't we try and find her," Bilbo asked.

"Plans change," Thorin stated, "She would want us to move on."

Thorin pushed his way through the dwarves in order to begin walking towards the front gate.

* * *

Stella and Snowfire were quite a ways from Rivendell now thanks to the white mare's speed. The white mare every once in a while halted and looked back at her owner. She wanted to make sure she was doing the right thing. Stella, of course, would make the mare continue onward.

Suddenly, a very loud growl came from Stella's right. She stopped Snowfire. Stella looked around, trying to find what had made the noise. It wasn't before long Stella finally saw a huge, brown-furred body.

"Shit," Stella cursed as she kicked Snowfire's sides. The white mare quickly galloped away, but Stella could still here the creature behind her, quickly gaining ground.

"Faster, sweety, faster," Stella encouraged Snowfire in the elvish tongue.

Snowfire nickered loudly, running even faster than before. It wasn't long before they came to a clearing. Stella looked behind her to see several Wargs with some riders and some without riders. Stella smiled as the distance grow more and more. She looked ahead, seeing woods in front of her. They were almost free…

Stella looked closer at the woods, only to see a huge group of Orcs and Wargs standing there.

She pulled Snowfire to a quick stop. The group of Orcs and Wargs surrounded Stella.

"Hello there, Stella Night," a nasty voice greeted the black-haired Slayer. Stella turned around in her saddle to see a pale white Orc looking at her. He was riding a pure white Warg. The Orc was huge in both muscle and height. He had scars on his body, most likely from previous fights.

Stella's dark blue eyes widened in horror.

"No," she whispered. The pale Orc smiled. He had heard her.

"Nice to see you too, dwarf lover," he commented.

"What do you want, Azog," Stella asked through clenched teeth.

"I want the Durin line gone for good," he stated, "And I'll need the help of some bait… you."

Stella watched as the Orcs grew closer to her and Snowfire. Snowfire shifted in place, nervous from all the Wargs nearby.

"Shit," Stella cursed again. It wasn't long before Stella was tied and placed on the back of Azog's Warg. Snowfire was released. The white mare didn't want to leave Stella, but she had to. The white mare ran and ran.

* * *

Thorin, Nim, Bilbo, and the rest were already well on their way. They were quite close to the mountain range nearby, but not close enough. It was almost dark out and they needed to set up camp soon.

Cerious was acting up, constantly tossing her head. It wasn't long after a hawk noise was heard. Nim stopped. Thorin looked back at her.

"What's going on," he asked her.

Before Nim could answer, another hawk noise rang out. Nim placed both her hands up to her mouth and made a low owl noise.

"Nim," Fili called, "What are you doing?"

"Give it a second," she replied.

Horse hooves were heard the next second, and they seem to be approaching fast.

"Circle up, boys," Thorin yelled. Nim shook her head, but went ahead and let the dwarves do as they liked. The brown-haired Slayer reined in Cerious just to make sure she would stay still. It wasn't long before several horses came rushing out of nowhere. The seven or so horses surrounded the dwarves and Nim. They all stopped, each on either side of the small circle the dwarves had made.

The horse that stopped before Nim was huge. It was pure black and seemed to be a nasty piece of work. The pure black horse was a stallion by the name of Majesty. On the stallion was a man dressed in a silver colored tunic and armor. Around his waist was a medium length sword. He had dark blonde hair and kind, dark green eyes.

"Its nice to see you, Lieutenant Nim," the man greeted.

"And you, Carandol," Nim greeted back. The man named Adrian looked at the dwarves.

His dark green eyes laid on Thorin and they instantly narrowed for a few seconds. The dwarf prince was confused. Why would a man he had just met look at him with hate?

"Where's Stella," Carandol asked.

"We don't know," Nim replied, "She ran off before we were even up for the day."

"Do you know where she went," Carandol asked. Anger covered his voice. Thorin had to wonder what this guy was to Stella.

"Why do you need to know," Thorin asked him.

"Because I'm her third in command," Carandol said as he looked over at Thorin, "And her fiancée."

Thorin looked at the man, slight surprise in his eyes. Fiancée? Stella had a fiancée? Since when?

"You're not her fiancée, Carandol," Nim corrected, "Not until the promise can't be made."

Carandol rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I doubt that will happen," he stated with a laugh.

"You never know," Nim said as she smiled. Carandol shook his head.

Hooves were heard from somewhere nearby. They were very fast. A loud neigh rang out. Cerious began to act up again, but this time was different. She was excited, not afraid. She neighed loudly. Just as soon as the dapple gray mare finished neighing, a pure white horse appeared. It had a black mane and tail. The horse had a bridle and saddle on it with a sword attached to the saddle. It was Snowfire.

Thorin broke the circle and walked over to the mare. Her brown eyes were filled with fear. Something was terribly wrong. Thorin could feel it. He stroked the mare kindly, trying to calm her.

"Something happened to Stella," Nim stated, "we have to go find her."

"No," Thorin yelled slightly, "We should keep going. She would want us to keep going." Thorin stopped petting the mare in order to look at his group.

"You're making it sound like she's dead," Nim commented.

"Until proven wrong, she is," Thorin said harshly.

Nim watched as the dwarf prince walked by. She could see he was slightly upset, but he was acting like he wasn't.

Thorin did want to go find Stella; he had to admit that, but they had to keep going no matter what.

Carandol forced Majesty to stand in Thorin's path. The dwarf prince looked up.

"And what do you want," Thorin asked harshly.

"Would you really try and keep going," Carandol questioned, "And not try to find Stella?"

"Stella can take care of herself," Thorin replied, "I have seen her do so."

Thorin walked pass Majesty and continued on his way go up the mountain. Nim dismounted from Cerious's back. She made sure her bow and arrows were on her back before she walked the dapple gray mare to a mounted Slayer.

"What are you doing, Nim," Fili asked as Nim walked over to Snowfire.

"There are mountains up ahead," Nim stated, "Cerious and Snowfire are not needed," Nim replied as she slid Stella's sword off the saddle and wrapped it around her own waist.

"Stella would rather that I have this until she would finally need it," Nim commented.

She gathered Snowfire's reins and walked her over to Carandol.

"Keep Snowfire safe," Nim told him, "Stella would appreciate that."

Carandol nodded before the Slayers left, taking Cerious and Snowfire along.

Nim touched Stella's sword, praying that her friend was okay, as she watched Cerious leave. Fili and Kili, even Bilbo, walked over to the brown-haired girl's side.

Fili placed a hand on Nim's shoulder.

"She'll be okay," he told her.

Even though Nim was looking at Cerious, she knew Fili meant Stella. She nodded before continuing onward to the mountains. All the while, Fili stayed next to her, just in case. After all, he could understand what it would be like if he lost his brother just like how Nim lost her best friend. He would be devastated, so Fili decided that maybe he should try to keep her cheered up.

The blonde-haired Durin heir looked over at his brother. He leaned his head towards Nim's direction. Kili nodded, understanding what his brother meant. He would surely help.

* * *

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